Category Archives: Stranger

  • 1

Sparrows

Category:Family,life,Neighbour,respect,sparrow,Stranger,streets

A discussion with a bloke on the street recently about respecting those who die on the streets.

Both of us we unaware of the death of a young sports person, for which the out pouring of public grief, the lowering of flags and other symbolic acts were quite staggering.

In contrast, those who die on the street largely go unnoticed.

No symbolic gestures, no public ‘mourning’, no media coverage and no special events as a mark of respect.

‘Bob’, not his name, was deeply distressed, that people from his circle of friends go largely unnoticed when they die.

I know this to be so. Last year I took a simple service at the back entrance to a crematorium of a bloke who died alone on the street.
Disconnected from family his body arrived in the cheapest of caskets, with a cloth covering it, no flowers no tributes, just a few people who new him and me a complete stranger who had been asked to say a few words of hope.

I reckon ‘Bob’ has a point, on this I believe he gets the heart of Jesus.

All are created in God’s image, we are all broken and struggle, but, if you entertain, people or are a ‘hero’ even those who don’t really know you, will mourn your passing and the world is made aware of it.

Not even a sparrow dies with out the creator being aware!!

Thank you  ‘Bob’ for reminding us to respect all who die regardless of who or ‘what’ they are.


  • 1

Kindness – a universal language

Category:Church sign of the week,Father Bob,Stranger,Welcome
We were very privileged today to have Father Bob MacGuire talk to us at church. He is a true Melbourne hero – for those of you who don’t know who he is here is a little about him.
Father Bob really speaks the language of kindness and has been speaking it, practically, for over 40 years. He was inspirational at church today reminding us (in his own special and unique way) what church is really about. He told us that we, who wear the name of Christ, also bear his cross. That by saying we are Christian we are committing ourselves to a path that involves loving others and that can be hard sometimes. In the words of Professor Dumbeldore, 

“It’s the choice between the easy way and the right way.”

We read the end of Matthew 25 this morning – sheep, goats, hungry, naked, prisoners etc. and Father Bob reminded us that by reading it, saying our “Amen” at the end we commit ourselves to seeing the hungry and feeding them, seeing the thirsty and giving them a drink, inviting in the stranger, clothing the naked, caring for the sick and visiting the imprisoned. Whoever they may be.
We have a mammoth task ahead of us. 
Father Bob has being doing it for 40 years and he has only just scratched the surface of what is needed.
Thank you Father Bob – for all you do. We will continue to pray for you as we strive to follow Christ’s example that we see in your work.


  • 0

Doing and Being

Category:Community,Family,Fear,Hospitality,Stranger,streets

Hi Fred how are you today?
I’m busier than a one legged man in a bum kicking contest!!

Being busy, it seems to me, has become a badge of honour over the years.

Growing up in a farming community describing someone as a ‘hard worker,’ was seen as a good thing, even if the reality was that same person was bad tempered and sometimes violent.

I find myself some days falling into the same trap, making myself busy as if to justify my own existence and self worth.

I had time to reflect on this recently as I ‘loitered’ with intent on the Melbourne Streets.

As I wandered around one of the usual locations watching the world go by
that  troubled  feeling that I was not ‘doing’ anything engulfed me.

Continuing to wander and watch, catching peoples eyes and smiling, I noticed a elderly lady, who was sitting not far from me.
She caught my eye because she looked at peace with the world.
I noticed after sometime she was struggling to get up from the seat.
I wandered over and asked if she would like a hand. She agreed and after I helped her up, I went back to loitering and  watching.

The struggle of ‘doing’ and ‘being’ was again foremost on my mind, when a bloke, approached me.
He was no stranger, we had chatted only weeks earlier, when he reminded me we had met at his cousins funeral some eight years earlier, which I had conducted.

Battle scared from living rough, he was on for a chat, so we did.
After a while he thanked me for the time spent with him, and he hugged me.

This man was homeless and alienated from his family through drug abuse and violence was grateful for the time spent with him, reminded me again, that ‘being’ is a good thing/

As we parted company we agreed that next time we met  we would have a meal together.

I returned to where I was ‘loitering’ vowing to never underestimate the value of ‘being’.


  • 0

The Trouble with ‘normal’ is it always gets worse!!

Category:Community,Fear,Hospitality,Neighbour,Stranger,The Other

Bruce Cockburn, a Canadian musician a favourite of mine has a song called ‘
The Trouble with Normal, from an album of the same name.

One of the lines goes, “It’ll all go back to normal if we put our nation first”
But the trouble with normal is it always gets worse.
AnotherPerson in the street shrugs — “Security comes first”
But the trouble with normal is it always gets worse.


Being ‘self obsessed’ whether personally or as a Nation is unhealthy. 

National Security in this country is surrounded in fear. 
Fear, that leads to lack of trust in those around us and of those in other places who we don’t know.

Community needs to be built on trust of ‘the other’.
‘The other’ may look different, dress different, eat different food and believe different things, however ‘the other’ is a fellow citizen and fellow traveller. 

As we travel together let’s look for what we have in common, try and understand the differences and build a strong community.

The only thing to fear is fear itself.







  • 0

Stangers and Friends

Category:Hospitality,Neighbour,News,Stranger,Welcome

Getting to know your neighbours (strangers) is full of surprises I am discovering.

Each day i am out  ‘loitering with intent’ on the Melbourne Streets I have contact with people encountering ordinary  “stuff’ of life, just being.

This is different to the ‘work’ I have done in the past. 
No programs that have KPI’s, no ‘problems’ to ‘fix’, rather to BE with and journey with in the ‘ordinary stuff’ of life.

It is good to do, however ‘being’ is amazing!!